035. Space Bastard


Farmer Peabody was more frightened and angrier then he'd ever been in his life. He didn't know why some crazy alien had landed in his barn and crushed his pine tree. But it wasn't fair! Otis Peabody had had a hard life, his father used to laugh when Otis had said he would follow in his footsteps. Abe Peabody didn't have much respect for his only son and it only got worse when Otis had declared he would have a tree farm.

"Tree farm? Trees don't need farmers, idiot, they grow by themselves just fine!"

Peabody had made us his mind and as he got older he settled on pine trees, after all, most furniture in Sears was made of pine. With a farm full of pine trees easily accessible he was sure he'd be more successful then his father could have dreamed.

It had taken a while though, to get the pine part off the ground, he'd been growing wheat in the meantime, keeping some cows and chickens.

Finally, a few months ago he had purchased two pines, they weren't just any pines, they were the sturdiest and strongest pines North America could offer. Excited, Peabody had planted them near the front of the property, and tended them daily. Soon they would seed and there would be more pine trees.

But now there was only one tree left! Those pine trees had cost a mint!

"You, Space Bastard," he muttered, kicking at the crushed pine tree. When the alien had raced away in his space ship, Peabody had hopes that he'd be able to resurrect the pine. But there was nothing that could be done...

"Wow, Pa," his son breathed from behind him. "A real alien!"

Unbelievable, the kid could only think about the alien!

"Pa, your poor tree," his daughter was more sympathetic.

"Where do you think the alien's goin'?"

This time Peabody did speak harshly. "Who cares? He's ruined this farm!"

"Oh come on, Pa!" Sherman said. "It's just a pine, hey we could show everyone the barn! Where the alien was! Maybe he left something there?"

Peabody had no intention of turning his farm into some sort of amusement park. Instead he looked over the surviving pine...well at least it was all right.

His wife had come out of the house. "Otis, are you gonna put that gun down?"

Peabody hadn't noticed he was still holding his shotgun, he slowly lowered it.

"Damn, Space Bastard," he said again.

"You ruined our mail box," his wife snapped, shaking her head.

"Who cares, what about our pine tree?" Peabody actually felt like crying, but that was for women.

His daughter seemed to notice the glint of tears in his eyes in the rising sun and said. "Pa, it'll be OK, we've still got one, and we'll take care of it!"

Peabody grunted. His daughter was right...one day...Twin Pines...Lone Pine Ranch would be the best source of pine trees in the area. I'll show you, Space Bastard, he vowed.


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